Northampton Saints v Saracens: Full team news for Thursday's Premiership Rugby Cup clash

At 17 years and 347 days old, England Under-18 international Cousins is named on the wing by the hosts for the cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens clash, and will break the record set by Josh Gillespie in 2018.

Saints, who travel to Sale Sharks for their Gallagher Premiership curtain raiser on Friday night, have named a side full of youth for the clash with Saracens.

Summer signing Callum Braley will skipper Saints, with the scrum-half partnering No.10 Matthew Arden in the half-back berths.

Ethan Grayson and Joel Matavesi are selected in the midfield, while alongside Cousins and England Under-20 full-back George Hendy in the back three is Alfie Garside – a guest player from Bath University, and brother of Saints scrum-half Jake.

Loosehead prop Ethan Waller partners hooker Robbie Smith and tighthead Oisín Heffernan in the front row.

In the engine room, Senior Academy players Emeka Atuanya and Geordie Irvine combine, with Kayde Sylvester, George Patten and Loughborough University guest player Henri Lavin rounding off the hosts’ line-up in the back row.

The club’s Academy is well represented amongst the replacements, with Ed Prowse, Aston Gradwick-Light, Toby Thame and Archie Kean all hoping to make an impact off the bench.

Meanwhile, Cousins’ new club record could well be short-lived as fellow England Under-18 internationals Henry Pollock (17 years, 237 days) and Archie McParland (17 years, 203 days), who both also represented the Red Rose in South Africa this summer, are also named on the bench for Saints.

As for Saracens, they have named a squad packed with experience as they do not have to play in the Premiership this weekend.

Mark McCall's men begin the new league campaign on a bye week, meaning they will use the Thursday night fixture at the Gardens as a final tune up before the big games begin.

England men such as Max Malins and Elliot Daly will start for Saracens against Saints.

Saints: Hendy; A Garside*, E Grayson, J Matavesi, Cousins**; Arden, Braley (c); E Waller, Smith, Heffernan; Atuanya, Irvine; Patten, Lavin*, Sylvester.

Replacements: Fish, Pill*, Prowse, Gradwick-Light, Pollock**, McParland**, Kean, Thame.

* Guest player

** Saints Academy Under-18

Saracens: Daly; Lewington, Lozowski, Taylor, Malins; M Vunipola, van Zyl; Mawi, Woolstencroft, Judge; Hunter-Hill, Tizard; McFarland, Earl, Wray (c).

Replacements: Pifeleti, Flynn, Clarey, Wardell, Christie, de Haas, Hallett, Goode.